Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-01-22

Tbs death Of John Roach. the crest
ahirbailder, recalls she fact that be vas
driven into needless basiness DISASTER
and untimely death By the grossly ont
rAaeoua tKsatmant he facslvea Is tie
banda "a 6eeFssaFy Of the Navy Whit
nsy. Roach VS. born IN Ireland, eaBe
10 this ooantFy in is29. boy Of -.
@iaheut . friend on q dollar; be knees
h0w 20 read, 70 wrifs and eyphsF, and
earned his Grst doilag In o briekyard. and
subsequently, learned tbe trade Of 81
iFoH fOaBdeF. He saved dis money and
started q small f0undry. employing
only four mau. and from this me for
ward be vas 90 sneesasfui that when fhe
aosernmens forced hiu % make 40 IS
siQamsna eiQhfeen months ago, be en-
ploved 800 men aud bis weekly pay
roll vas $4,000. FF0ts she Saturday
niRhf be paid his first wages, fhF6hRh
period of more than forty years Roach
never failed 70 pay bis employees every
Saturday night, and this period In
GLADE 4 the great p8nfos of 1885. 1867
and 1878. Ia 1871 be established the
great ahtpyafd ~ Chester, Pa, and bs-
came ths greatest ssipnnilder IN taia
country. His yard ives 80 eomplete
that IL vas the only yard in We world
where iron could be received IN
the ore and be converted into 8 In
ishsd ship. lie hailt no less than
eighty on more iron sAipa. aeRfegatiuR
ai0,000 tons and qaoted as the best In
the world. In ships and mafIns en-
ainea his business amounted 20 tS5, COS
600. When g recently appointed
Naval Cammiasi0n we're engaged
10 inspecting and sslecsinR sash
merchant vessels as eould be
readily transformed, BY reason Of their
strength. speed ana woFkmanship. into
| fast war cruisers. IL was found that
every vessel 70 selected had been built
BY John Roach. Is 1888 be began to
build four steel Government cruisers
under che dirsesiom Of the Naval Ad-
visory Board. and Secretary WhitDey's
outrageous refusal o. accept the Dol
phin, although fully equal 10 the ooR
tract and instructions Of the Naval
Board, forced Mr.. Roach into an assign
menf. Tiers was never aHy question ~
| 20 the SEW ney Of Roach under ordinary
| circumstances, for be bad very large
fortune; but the prospect that Whitney
/ would reject all four Of the sea cruisers
aud throw an enormous loss upon bis
| hands forced him 10 take In ell bis sail
10 protees bis creditors sFOm all possible
| IOsa bY the action Of the Secretary
l Finally whitney, Kb0 was only seeking
| for q little cheap fame as q Democratic
patent new broom, vas forced to adjust
the difficulty be had sFamped up for po
| litieal effect concerning the Dolphin, q
the assigneee retired aud the firm val
FeorQ anized, bat toe mischief had beer
wrought, and Roach, restored in for
tune, was hopeleasly broken IN health
Aud this is the tale OF the treatmen
that this great man (for poor emiQFan
hoy Who did shat Roach did is . RTea
mah) Feoetved-a man Who In busi
ness career Of tifty years never bad heel
aued; never had aaed customer. II
bis workmen Roach was kind and gen
erous friend. The New York EreHin
Post ssye:
1housauds of dollars we're given b,
him in charity, and the widows OF faith
fnl employees we're invariably kept on th
pay roll unsil thsir children we're abb
10 support them. Iha Improvement o.
the homes Of his wnrkmsn was one O
bis special studiea. and be made it eaal
for them 30 own their homes by payiul
for them In installments. He soagh
earnestly 10 improve their eoBdition an,
circumstances aud snrround their chill
dren with advantages greater than thei
swn. He was only troubled once o
twice By agitation among his men O
threatened with strikes. With hin
demagoeues or walking delegates
found little favor, and they found |
almost impossible to influence bis EN-
ployes.
The Cleveland administration hAl
done many weak thines, bat its wick
eldest net was this unjust, outraReoal
action Of Secretary Whitney, vhe useS
hie official power and opportunity (.
break down. for political purposes. thii
great man Of business, the finest typ,
Of the class that have rolled up tht
wealth and enlarged the enterprise Of ID.
country. Had Roaoh's contract beer
with anybody bat the Government b.
could not hav. been troubled for mo
ment, bot against the Government b
was poSeFiesS until whitney was driver
by the universal cry of "shame" fFeu
all honorable men OF business Of I'll
politics, to a slow returning sense oil
public honor, decenoy aud justice. =
oFegoHiaH.